Hi- I found this interesting and hence sharing. Not sure of the authenticity as it is from an email forward. Happy Deepavali to all MS ians

# Birthday of Goddess Laxmi the Goddess of wealth, Lakshmi who is said to have risen during the Samudra manthan or churning of the ocean during which a host of divine celestial objects came up. Lakshmi the daughter of the king of the milky ocean arose on the new moon day or amaavasyaa of the Kartik month.Subsequently married to Lord Vishnu on the same darkest night of the year when brilliant lamps were illuminated and placed in rows to mark this holy occassion.

# The Legend of King Mahabali When Lord Vishnu in the guise of Vamana sought three feet of land from the generous demon king Bali the latter had to surrender his head as Vamana had conquered the earth and the sky in two strides. Lord Vishnu banishes Bali into the Pathala Loka by keeping his third stride on Bali's head. Later pleased by his generosity Lord Vishnu grants him a boon and he in turn requests the Lord to guard his palace at Pathala Loka.

Meanwhile the Goddess is unable to bear the separation and her grief affects the functioning of the entire universe. Brahma and Lord Shiva offer themselves as guards and plead with Bali to relieve Vishnu. So on the Amavasya day Lord Vishnu returns to his abode and Goddess Lakshmi is delighted. It is believed that those who worship Goddess Lakshmi on this day would be bestowed with riches.

# The Killing of Narakasura: The Bhagavata Purana tells us about Narakasura, an evil demon king who had managed to acquire awesome powers. Unrivalled in prowess, he conquered both the heavens and earth and was tyrannical in his reign. Addicted to power, he even stole the earrings of Aditi the heavenly mother goddess and usurped some of her territory. When Lord Vishnu was incarnated as Krishna in the Dwapara Yuga he killed Narakasura on the day preceding Diwali and rescued 16000 women whom the demon had imprisoned in his palace. The deliverance from the terrible Narakasura was celebrated with much grandeur, a tradition that continues to this day

Another version of the story credits Sathyabhama- wife of Lord Krishna as the one who eliminated Narakasura. It is said that Narakasura could only be killed by his mother Bhudevi and as Satyabhama was an incarnation of the same Bhudevi, she only could kill him. Before death, however, Narakasura realized his mistake and requested a boon from Satyabhama that everyone should celebrate his death with colorful lights.

# The Return of the Pandavas The great Hindu epic Mahabharata reveals that it was Kartik Amavashya (the new moon day of the Kartik month) when the Pandavas appeared from their 12 years of banishment as a result of their defeat in the hands of the Kauravas at the game of dice To celebrate the joyous occassion of their return the common people illuminated their state by lighting bright earthen lamps everywhere and the tradition continues to this day.

# The Victory of Rama The great Hindu epic Ramayana describes how Lord Ram conquered Lanka after vanquishing the evil King Ravana and after passing a period of of fourteen years in exile returned to his capital Ayodhya on a new moon day of Kartik .To celebrate the homecoming of their beloved king the people of Ayodhya burst crackers, lit up their houses with earthen lamps and decorated the entire city in the grandest manner. Year after year this homecoming of Lord Rama is commemorated on Diwali with lights, fireworks, bursting of crackers and merriment.

# Coronation of Vikramaditya It is also said that Vikramaditya the legendary Indian king famed for his wisdom, valour and magnanimity was coroneted on the Diwali day following his victory over the Sakas in 56 BC. This was marked by a grand celebration which is still maintained annually.

#The Enlightenment of Swami Dayananda Saraswati Diwali also marks the auspicious occasion when on a new moon day of Kartik Swami Dayananda Saraswati one of the greatest reformers of Hinduism attained his nirvana or enlightenment and became Maharshi Dayananda . In 1875 Maharshi Dayananda founded the Arya Samaj a Hindu reform movement to purify Hinduism of the many evils it became associated with at that era. Ctd in comments

Dear friends,
I am sorry that I have not been a regular visitor / contributor at MS . I have taken on a special assignment which is keeping me really busy in addition to my normal work ...
Today was a bit better and I snatched the opportunity to get back on MS space..
Just sharing a small message ... the first one has helped me so much in life that I can vouch for the power of that simple line.. :)) Hope you find the power too.. All the very best .Love

"If someone does not smile at you, be generous and offer your own smile. Nobody needs a smile more than the one who cannot smile at another."
"A smile is the lighting system of the face, the cooling system of the head and the heating system of the heart."

A Prayer
Lord, grant me insights to know how my words will be received by the reader / listener ..
I know I mean no ill and do not ever try to slight another consciously
But still, there are times, when my words are taken as spoken with arrogance ,
or when another finds an imaginary slight .... gets upset or hurt with me...

God, grant me the generosity of spirit to accept those situations as lessons for me..
To have the grace to apologise, however unintentional I may have been
Not to judge the other as rude or insensitive or any thing else
Other than as someone sent to show me the path that I need to traverse
To get closer to you, to realise that there is no difference between the other and me
And that we are all a part of the Divine Matrix and that each is a twin soul ...
And by honouring the other, I am honouring You and Me and US ...

Dear friends, - Life has been a huge learning for me as it must be for all of us.. I found that in the last few months, I was getting accused by varied people, ( yes, in MS too) of being rude / arrogant etc.. when all I was speaking / writing was my truth .. This hurt initially as I have been specially trying to be non judgemental, in my dealings with people ..

This set me thinking and the only thing I can conclude is that these experiences must be being sent my way to see how much I can stay on course and be non judgemental... That is the basis of this sharing :))

1 . ATTITUDE IS WHAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT.......
SOLDIER : SIR WE ARE SURROUNDED FROM ALL SIDES BY ENEMIES .
MAJOR : EXCELLENT ! WE CAN ATTACK IN ANY DIRECTION.




2. EVERY ONE KNOWS ABOUT ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL WHO INVENTED THE TELEPHONE, BUT HE NEVER MADE A CALL TO HIS FAMILY. BECAUSE, HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER WERE DEAF. THAT'S LIFE " LIVE FOR OTHERS " .




3. THE WORST IN LIFE IS "ATTACHMENT " IT HURTS WHEN YOU LOSE IT. THE BEST THING IN LIFE IS " LONELINESS " BECAUSE IT TEACHES YOU EVERYTHING AND, WHEN YOU LOSE IT, YOU GET EVERYTHING.




4. LIFE IS NOT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ACT TRUE TO YOUR FACE ........ IT'S ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO REMAIN TRUE BEHIND YOUR BACK .




5. IF AN EGG IS BROKEN BY AN OUTSIDE FORCE........A LIFE ENDS. IF AN EGG BREAKS FROM WITHIN.......LIFE BEGINS. GREAT THINGS ALWAYS BEGIN FROM WITHIN .







6. IT'S BETTER TO LOSE YOUR EGO TO THE ONE YOU LOVE. THAN TO LOSE THE ONE YOU LOVE ....... BECAUSE OF EGO .



7. A RELATIONSHIP DOESN'T SHINE BY JUST SHAKING HANDS AT THE BEST OF TIMES. BUT IT BLOSSOMS BY HOLDING FIRMLY IN CRITICAL SITUATIONS .



8. HEATED GOLD BECOMES ORNAMENTS. BETTED COPPER BECOMES WIRES. DEPLETED STONE BECOMES STATUE. SO, THE MORE PAIN YOU GET IN YOUR LIFE THE MORE VALUABLE YOU BECOME.







9. WHEN YOU TRUST SOMEONE TRUST HIM COMPLETELY WITHOUT ANY DOUBT.............. AT THE END YOU WOULD GET ONE OF THE TWO : EITHER A LESSON FOR YOUR LIFE OR A VERY GOOD PERSON .



10. WHY DO WE HAVE SO MANY TEMPLES , IF GOD IS EVERYWHERE ? A WISE MAN SAID : AIR IS EVERYWHERE , BUT WE STILL NEED A FAN TO FEEL IT .

Nandan Nilekani's Fully integrated ID card system...... .AWESOME! !!!
Nandan Nilekani can do it.....Fully integrated ID card system
Operator : "Thank you for calling Pizza Hut . May I have your..."
Customer: "Heloo, can I order.."
Operator : "Can I have your multi purpose ID card number first, Sir?"
Customer: "It's he..., hold......... ..on..... .889861356102049 998-45-54610"
Operator : "OK... You're... Mr Singh and you're calling from 17 Jal Vayu. Your home number is 22678893, your office 25076666 and your mobile is 09869798888. Which number are you calling from now Sir?"
Customer: "Home! How did you get all my phone numbers?
Operator : "We are connected to the system Sir"
Customer: "May I order your Seafood Pizza..."
Operator : "That's not a good idea Sir"
Customer: "How come?"
Operator : "According to your medical records, you have high blood pressure and even higher cholesterol level Sir"
Customer: "What?... What do you recommend then?"
Operator : "Try our Low Fat Pizza. You'll like it"
Customer: "How do you know for sure?"
Operator : "You borrowed a book entitled "Popular Dishes" from the National Library last week Sir"
Customer: "OK I give up... Give me three family size ones then, how much will that cost?"
Operator : "That should be enough for your family of 05, Sir. The total is Rs 500.00"
Customer: "Can I pay by! Credit card?"
Operator : "I'm afraid you have to pay us cash, Sir. Your credit card is over the limit and you owe your bank Rs 23,000.75 since October last year. That's not including the late payment charges on your housing loan, Sir.."
Customer: "I guess I have to run to the neighbourhood ATM and withdraw some cash before your guy arrives"
Operator : "You can't Sir. Based on the records, you've reached your daily limit on machine withdrawal today"
Customer: "Never mind just send the pizzas, I'll have the cash ready. How long is it gonna take anyway?"
Operator : "About 45 minutes Sir, but if you can't wait you can always come and collect it on your Nano Car..."
Customer: " What!"
Operator : "According to the details in system ,you own a Nano car,...registration number GZ-05-AB-1107. ."
Customer: " ????"
Operator : "Is there anything else Sir?"
Customer: "Nothing... By the way... Aren't you giving me that 3 free bottles of cola as advertised?"
Operator : "We normally would Sir, but based on your records you're also diabetic.... ... "
Customer: #$$^%&$@$% ^
Operator : "Better watch your language Sir.. Remember on 15th July 2010 you were convicted of using abusive language on a policeman... ?"
Customer: [Faints]

I have often been asked how I manage to fit in so many interests and activities in life, keep in touch with friends, handle two jobs at the same time, travel at short notice, keep my family satisfied, attend Toast Master’s every Wednesday evening,Meditation on Sunday mornings .…. My answer to this query is very simple : I try my best to live today as if there is no tomorrow.

Remembering that there may not be a tomorrow has been the most powerful tool that I have come across which has helped me to make the big decisions in my life. Almost everything, - all frivolous expectations, pride, fear of failure or embarrassment , all these things fall off in the face of death – or, should I just say, “impermanence”?? - , leaving behind only what is truly important tous.
Inthe end, it matters not what we have – the cars, the house, the cash, thedegrees and decorations we acquire –What matters, is how we live and love.
If we could just slow down enough to consider what is real and true for us, to understand the feelings of other people, to be less quick to anger, or to take offence, be more appreciative, to love thepeople in our life as if we have never loved before, to treat each other with respect and … to wear a smile more often, I am sure we will all be happier and healthier.
Remembering that this special period we call life might only last a little while, will help us to celebrate today as if there is no tomorrow.
Everyday,I ask myself “ If this was the last day of my life, would I still want to do what I am about to do today?” . If the answer is NO for many days in a row,then I know I need to change something.
Are there things in your life you would like to change ?? Then, please don’t wait for that elusive tomorrow.
When the final curtain call comes, would you rather have people speak about how wellyou lived, or would you rather leave a list of things left unfinished??
Let me share an experience with you :- When I was 16, my brother was diagnosed with an advanced stage of Colon cancer and was given only a few months to live. During those agonizing 6 months, before death finally showed mercy and took him, - in between hospital visits, chemo therapy, radiation and well wishers, we cherished the few hours we got together, alone -------when he used to talk,…… and,……I used to listen.
He was a gifted poet and writer. Journalism was his passion. But, he took up the job of a bank officer, to support the family income . Those days journalists were not paid much.
Most of the time, he used to talk about his unfulfilled wishes and ambitions , of the things he wanted to do once the need to support the family was over, -about the girl he loved, but did not want to acknowledge that love till he was in a position to offer marriage, about the places he wished to travel to ….. …And, he used to tell me “ If I knew that I would not last till my 24th birthday, I would have done things differently” ……. But, it was too late for that thought…..
After his funeral, those talks used to haunt me – 1954 to 1978 – those 24 years that he actually spent “alive” on earth, did he really “Live”?? Wasn’t he waiting to Live after completing so many other things????
I know no one wants to die. Even those who want to go to Heaven, do not want to die to reach there. But, personally, for me , the principle of living today as if there is no tomorrow, has actually set me free from the shackles of death.When we face it squarely, it no longer has the power to frighten us – and then,we will be able to see clearly –that the most important thing we have is the present moment which is with us now.
This thought is an essential part of advaitha and Zen philosophies. All religions and scriptures talk about it. But I feel, we haven’t given it enough importance.

As Joan Rivers said, “ Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, Today isGod’s gift – that’s why we call it the “present”.
Friends,I sincerely ask you to look at the thought that there may not be a tomorrow – in the positive sense , as an empowering tool that can bring our focus on to - Today – this beautiful present ----- that we have with us.

AN AMERICAN VISITED INDIA AND WENT BACK TO AMERICA
WHERE HE MET HIS INDIAN FRIEND WHO ASKED HIM

HOW DID U FIND MY COUNTRY ?

THE AMERICAN SAID IT IS A GREAT COUNTRY WITH SOLID ANCIENT HISTORY AND IMMENSELY RICH WITH NATURAL RESOURCES.

THE INDIAN FRIEND THEN ASKED ?.

HOW DID U FIND INDIANS ????

INDIANS??

WHO INDIANS??

I DIDNT FIND OR MET A SINGLE INDIAN THERE IN INDIA??.

WHAT NONSENSE?? WHO ELSE COULD U MET IN INDIA THEN????

THE AMERICAN SAID ....

IN KASHMIR I MET A KASHMIRI

IN PUNJAB A PANJABI

IN BIHAR,MAHARASTRA, RAJASTHAN, BENGAL,TAMILNADU, KERALA I MET A BIHARI,MARATHI, MARWADI, BENGALI,TAMILIAN, MALAYALI. and so on

THEN I MET

A MUSLIM,

A HINDU

A CHRISTIAN,

A JAIN,

A BUDDHIST

AND MANY MANY MANY MORE


BUT NOT A SINGLE INDIAN, DID I MEET


THINK HOW SERIOUS THIS IS ?????..

THE DAY WOULD NOT BE FAR OFF WHEN INDEED WE WOULD

BECOME A COLLECTION OF NATION STATES AS SOME

REGIONAL ANTI-NATIONAL POLITICIANS WANT ....

FIGHT BACK -

ALWAYS SAY I AM INDIAN !!!

JAI HIND
Today - after reading Deepak's dp about the Kargil war heroes, I felt it was the right time to share this.. This situation is unfortunately true ,,, and all of us can contribute to change this ... and to keep Bharat alive .

Friends - I really enjoyed reading this one and so felt I should share it with you.. Jai raj - it is a joke - I am taking bail in advance this time :))
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My grandpa started walking five miles a day when he was 60. Now he's 97 years old and we don't know where he is.

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.

I have to walk early in the morning, before my brain figures out what I'm doing..

I joined a health club last year, spent about 800 bucks. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to go there.

Every time I hear the dirty word 'exercise', I wash my mouth out with wine and chocolate.

I do have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.

The advantage of exercising every day is so when you die, they'll say, "Well, he looks good doesn't he."

If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.

I know I got a lot of exercise the last few years - just getting over the hill.

Weall get heavier as we get older, because there's a lot more informationin our heads. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

AND

Every time I start thinking too much about how I look, I just find a Happy Hour and by the time I leave, I look just fine.

On their 40th wedding anniversary and during the banquet celebrating it, Tom was asked to give his friends a brief account of the benefits of a marriage of such long duration.
"Tell us Tom, just what is it you have learned from all those wonderful years with your wife?"
Tom responds, "Well, I've learned that marriage is the best teacher of all. It teaches you loyalty, forbearance, meekness, self-restraint, forgiveness --and a great many other qualities you wouldn't have needed if you'd stayed single."